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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: lean · net · stem · chest · patient · charge · staff · cabinet

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. staff — employees
  5. lean — thin
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — for catching
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — a price
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — electricity
  15. staff — employees
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. charge — in control
  23. chest — a box
  24. lean — to bend

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