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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: bound · arm · saw · stem · patient · stand · cue · bank

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. stand — to bear
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a signal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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