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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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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: foot · patient · fan · temple · swing · stem · wake · kid

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. swing — in golf
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stem — to come from
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kid — child
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. swing — music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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