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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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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 · cue · track · wind · stand · bank · chest · rest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — of your body
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chest — a box
  22. track — a path
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — a song

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