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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
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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: wake · patient · lie · chest · safe · lean · stock · band

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a ring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a music group
  9. stock — shares
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — a box
  12. stock — goods
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wake — a trail

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