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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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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: pound · bank · stem · pop · patient · lie · march · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stem — to come from
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rest — a break
  10. pop — music
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — the month
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — soda
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pop — to visit

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