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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — happy
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. track — a song
  9. root — the cause
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. track — a path
  16. root — of a word
  17. rest — a break
  18. root — of a plant
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. content — videos and posts

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