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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. content — the amount
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. field — a subject
  7. spring — of water
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. field — for sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bound — certain
  16. content — happy
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — obliged
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. field — farmland
  23. spring — the season
  24. bound — tied together

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