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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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · board · patient · nail · stand · cell

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — a phone
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — to get on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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