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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 120 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: present · trunk · stand · band · field · patient · spring · mouse

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. spring — the season
  2. present — there
  3. spring — a coil
  4. field — a subject
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. band — a music group
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. present — the time now
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spring — of water
  17. field — farmland
  18. band — a ring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — a gift
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  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