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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — decided
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. field — farmland
  9. rash — a series
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — for sport
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rash — hasty
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. field — a subject
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — on the skin

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