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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 · arm · leaves · last · stock · nail · present · roll

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — shares
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. last — to go on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — finally
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. present — a gift
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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