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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 · stem · fan · wax · fine · stand · row · last

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. last — final
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — all right
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — to bear
  10. last — finally
  11. stem — to come from
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. last — to go on
  17. wax — to grow
  18. row — a line
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — for spectators

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