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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: bear · hide · pop · stand · object · stick · patient · current

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. pop — soda
  3. current — of water
  4. pop — to visit
  5. current — happening now
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. current — electric
  8. pop — music
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — to protest
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stand — for spectators

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