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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: bear · patient · rest · mark · swing · rule · stand · hide

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rest — a break
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rule — a law
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. swing — to play on
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rest — what's left

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