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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 120 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: stick · band · stem · wax · patient · rule · arm · swing

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a music group
  3. rule — a law
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. swing — to play on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. wax — to grow
  16. swing — in golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. swing — music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. band — a ring

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