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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — music
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. craft — boats
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bank — of a river

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