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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stem — to come from
  11. band — a ring
  12. drill — army training
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rash — hasty
  24. dip — a sauce

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