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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · stand · patient · craft · key · staff · suit · band

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. suit — clothes
  4. staff — employees
  5. key — the most important part
  6. suit — to fit
  7. band — a ring
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. craft — a skill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a music group
  12. suit — in cards
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stand — to bear
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. row — a line
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. key — for a lock
  20. staff — a stick
  21. key — in music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — boats

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