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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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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: toast · field · stem · wave · stick · race · last · patient

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. field — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — humankind
  10. last — finally
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — final
  13. race — the arms race
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — to come from
  18. last — to go on
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — a contest
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. toast — bread
  23. field — farmland
  24. wave — with your hand

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