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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · coach · lean · bear · file · stock · squash · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. file — a document
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lean — to bend
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a tool
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stock — shares
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stock — goods
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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