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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 · suit · can · cold · patient · track · tear · land

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cold — not warm
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — to be able to
  16. track — a song
  17. tear — to rip
  18. land — to come down
  19. tear — from crying
  20. land — ground
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — a country
  24. tear — from crying

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