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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: patient · hand · can · rock · bore · firm · lean · bear

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rock — music
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — a stone
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — in cards
  19. firm — a company
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. firm — steady

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