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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — a face
  3. mark — a grade
  4. file — a line of people
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mug — a cup
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a document
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lean — to bend
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. file — a tool
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lean — thin
  23. season — in sport
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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