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

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kid — to tease
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to click
  19. field — for sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. leaves — lets stay

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