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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: fall · mark · stand · spring · toast · patient · nail · row

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. fall — the season
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spring — of water
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a line
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. toast — bread

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