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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: season · hide · stand · stem · field · bowl · prune · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — a subject
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — to bear
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. season — of the year
  14. prune — to trim
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stem — to come from
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. field — farmland
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — for sport

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