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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: patient · staff · stand · mate · pit · lean · board · craft

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mate — a partner
  6. craft — boats
  7. board — a committee
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. staff — employees
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — to get on
  18. lean — to bend
  19. craft — a skill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mate — a friend
  23. staff — employees
  24. lean — to rest against

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