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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · stem · land · bank · patient · nail · mine · rest

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — a break
  5. land — ground
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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