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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rush — hurry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. field — farmland
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — army training
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lean — thin
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. drill — the tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. lean — to bend

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