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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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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: kick · stick · stand · pop · kid · fall · patient · stock

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. kid — child
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. kick — in football
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — the season
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — shares
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pop — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kid — to tease
  24. patient — a sick person

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