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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.

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: hand · staff · patient · craft · cabinet · rest · present · stem

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. present — there
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — a break
  12. hand — help
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hand — in cards
  20. staff — a stick
  21. craft — boats
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. staff — employees
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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