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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 · staff · pass · stand · snap · stock · cap · lash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — employees
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. staff — employees
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — shares
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. cap — of ice
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stock — goods

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