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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: stick · patient · current · perch · deal · stand · lean · date

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stand — to bear
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — thin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — the fruit
  12. current — happening now
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — of water
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — electric

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