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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · hand · march · stand · firm · stem · arm · patient

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. march — the month
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. face — to point toward
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. face — part of the head
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. march — the month
  15. face — to confront
  16. firm — decided
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — to come from
  19. firm — steady
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. march — music
  23. firm — a company
  24. stand — for spectators

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