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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: deal · hand · fan · stem · patient · lash · present · bound

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — certain
  3. stem — to come from
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. present — the time now
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. present — a gift
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. present — there
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hand — help
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bound — tied together
  24. deal — a big deal

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