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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 116 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: net · stand · snap · patient · land · bear · clip · rule

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. net — for catching
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. net — in sport
  12. land — to come down
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. land — ground
  20. clip — a video
  21. net — after costs
  22. bear — the animal
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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