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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: club · patient · suit · snap · drill · hide · row · stem

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. suit — clothes
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. club — a group
  9. drill — a practice
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. suit — in cards
  19. club — for golf
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — to fit

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