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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. march — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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