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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: spell · patient · stick · drill · temple · lash · club · stem

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — letters
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — magic
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spell — a short time
  24. temple — a place of worship

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