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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: march · spell · safe · stick · patient · wind · lean · stand

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spell — magic
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spell — letters
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. march — the month
  19. lean — thin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — music
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lean — to bend

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