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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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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 · patient · stand · rule · wound · firm · ground · cap

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. firm — decided
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — a position
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — government
  19. stand — to bear
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ground — the earth

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