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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: snap · coach · rush · stock · content · cell · patient · stand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to click
  11. stock — goods
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cell — a phone
  16. stand — to bear
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. content — happy
  20. content — the amount
  21. stock — shares
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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