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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 116 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 · stand · patient · net · board · fork · shower · coach

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. shower — to wash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — rain
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — for catching
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. board — to get on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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