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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. craft — a skill
  3. field — a subject
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. field — farmland
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. lean — thin
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. season — of the year
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lean — to bend
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. season — in sport

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