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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — army training
  12. snap — to click
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rash — a series
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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