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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: patient · bear · lash · coach · stand · stock · cold · bowl

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stock — shares
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cold — not warm
  11. stock — goods
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. cold — an illness
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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