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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: stem · cold · craft · sharp · patient · bank · mug · stand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — not warm
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — a cup
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bank — of a river
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cold — an illness
  24. craft — boats

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