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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 · perch · stand · spring · stem · cue · band · lash

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spring — of water
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. spring — the season
  7. band — a music group
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spring — a coil
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — the fish
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. band — a ring
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stem — to come from
  24. perch — for a bird

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