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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: stem · cabinet · wake · patient · rest · net · fork · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. swing — to play on
  7. net — in sport
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. swing — music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — after costs
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — for catching
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rest — a break
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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