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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 120 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: march · safe · stem · bay · bark · coach · patient · hand

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bark — to shout
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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