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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chest — of your body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chest — a box
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bass — low music
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — to get on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a committee
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bass — the instrument

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