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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. roll — a list
  5. field — a subject
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rule — a law
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. snap — to click
  12. rule — government
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — for sport
  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