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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
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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 · patient · court · firm · straw · spell · fall · board

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — the season
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spell — a short time
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spell — magic
  10. court — for sport
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — to get on
  20. court — of law
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — letters

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