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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: patient · row · toast · lie · roll · stem · face · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. row — a line
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stem — to come from
  7. staff — employees
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. roll — a cake
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to confront
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — employees
  16. face — to point toward
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. toast — bread
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. roll — a list
  22. row — to paddle
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. roll — on a roll

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