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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: patient · leaves · bear · stand · mine · branch · cold · fine

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cold — not warm
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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