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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 116 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
468
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: cell · chip · patient · prune · stock · coach · rash · lie

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. stock — shares
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stock — goods

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