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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. snap — to click
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bound — tied together
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. file — a document
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — to handle

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