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

Word bank: band · can · firm · kid · patient · stem · rest · straw

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — a break
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kid — child
  15. firm — a company
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a music group
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. band — a ring
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — dry grass

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