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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — finally
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. last — final
  13. fine — all right
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — certain
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — to go on
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wind — moving air

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