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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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spring — the season
  4. bass — low music
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spring — of water
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bass — the fish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fan — a supporter

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