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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: squash · safe · stand · field · march · patient · lean · prune

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. field — a subject
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. march — the month
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — to crush
  16. field — farmland
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. march — music

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