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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: stand · bark · hide · ruler · stem · lean · patient · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lean — thin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — certain
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stem — a stem cell

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