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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 120 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: fan · staff · current · stem · patient · chair · cell · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. chair — a leader
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — electric
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — a phone
  17. season — in sport
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. staff — a stick
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — happening now

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