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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 120 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: rule · ground · sharp · patient · lie · prune · lean · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — thin
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rule — government
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — clever
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — to trim
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — to bend
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rule — a law

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