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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: board · patient · stem · chest · plane · suit · current · track

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chest — a box
  4. current — happening now
  5. track — to keep track
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. track — a path
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chest — of your body
  15. track — a song
  16. chest — of your body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. current — of water
  24. stem — a stem cell

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