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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: calf · stand · patient · press · bowl · snap · land · bear

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — ground
  12. snap — to click
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — to push
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. land — a country

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