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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · spring · can · cabinet · track · charge · patient · stem

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. track — a song
  11. charge — in control
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spring — the season
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. track — a path
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com