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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spring · object · stick · stand · stem · wax · saw

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — of water
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — to grow
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — to protest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. saw — the tool

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