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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — the season
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. snap — to click
  24. fall — to drop

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