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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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — shares
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. present — there
  7. spring — of water
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — bread
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. toast — the most admired

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