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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lean — to bend
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — a gift
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — in biology
  8. track — to keep track
  9. field — a subject
  10. season — in sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — for sport
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a path
  16. cell — a phone
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. track — a song
  23. suit — in cards
  24. field — farmland

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