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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: firm · stock · lie · staff · patient · pass · trunk · cell

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stock — goods
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cell — a phone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stock — shares
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pass — a permit
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. firm — decided
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cell — in a prison

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