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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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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: bark · straw · board · cell · stand · race · patient · toast

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. toast — bread
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — humankind
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bark — to shout
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. race — a contest

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