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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 · press · stand · stock · wave · scale · dip · patient

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. scale — in music
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stock — shares
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. press — a publisher
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — with your hand

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