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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: track · row · dip · bound · jam · patient · stem · calf

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stem — to come from
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bound — certain
  12. track — to keep track
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. row — a line
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — obliged
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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