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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: patient · firm · present · fall · degree · stand

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — steady
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fall — to drop
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — a company
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — decided
  18. stand — to bear

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