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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.

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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: cell · march · kick · patient · wind · rest · cue · stand

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — a break
  4. kick — in football
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wind — moving air
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wind — to turn a key

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