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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: stem · nail · firm · fan · pop · ground · leaves · patient

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — a company
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. firm — steady
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pop — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — decided

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