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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.

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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: cell · present · stand · bound · patient · straw · root · scale

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. root — of a word
  4. cell — in biology
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. cell — a phone
  15. root — the cause
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bound — certain
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — in music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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