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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. spring — of water
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stock — goods
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. face — to point toward
  10. band — a ring
  11. cap — of ice
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. stock — shares
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. cap — a lid
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pass — a permit
  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