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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: rush · wake · stem · rest · band · patient · bass · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. band — a ring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cell — in biology
  17. wake — a trail
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — a break
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wake — before a funeral

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