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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 · can · stem · date · cell · coach · rest · perch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cell — in biology
  6. date — the fruit
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — the fish

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