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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 124 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: stem · leaves · wound · present · temple · patient · lash · track

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wound — an injury
  4. present — the time now
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. present — there
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. track — a path
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. track — a song
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — a gift
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. leaves — to go away

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