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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: bear · stem · wound · stand · field · rush · lean · pop

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. field — farmland
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pop — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. lean — to bend

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