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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tear — from crying
  4. field — a subject
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — farmland
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. cue — a signal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. cue — for pool
  11. firm — a company
  12. tear — to rip
  13. mate — to breed
  14. field — for sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. toast — bread
  18. cue — a hint
  19. firm — steady
  20. tear — from crying
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mate — a partner
  24. firm — decided

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