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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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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 · stock · lean · coach · plane · hand · stick · mark

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. lean — to bend
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stock — shares
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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