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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: stand · toast · fall · cue · patient · clip · row · dip

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. clip — a video
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — a line
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cue — a hint
  16. clip — for paper
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. dip — to sink
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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