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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: dip · net · rule · bear · wound · band · patient · stand

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. band — a music group
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to sink
  14. band — a ring
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rule — a law
  22. stand — to bear
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — to dunk

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