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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: staff · stem · ground · straw · patient · suit · rest · mine

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rest — a break
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ground — crushed
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stem — to come from
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rest — what's left

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