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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cue — for pool
  15. face — to confront
  16. kid — child
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cue — a signal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. deal — to handle

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