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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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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 · patient · straw · rest · staff · stand · bass · branch

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — a division
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fall — to drop
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rest — a break
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. staff — a stick
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. staff — employees

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