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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 120 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a ring
  5. field — farmland
  6. fall — the season
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — for sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fall — to drop
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. band — a music group

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