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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: firm · patient · tear · stem · jam · fan · arm · bore

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bore — to drill
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. tear — from crying
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tear — to rip
  12. firm — a company
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — to tire
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. jam — in traffic

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