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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: staff · row · net · craft · patient · rest · file · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stem — to come from
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a document
  8. staff — a stick
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a line of people
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — for catching
  16. rest — a break
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a tool
  21. row — a line
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. craft — a skill
  24. net — in 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