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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. field — a subject
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fine — all right
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. field — farmland
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fine — high quality
  24. sharp — clever

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