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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bound — tied together
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — there
  6. bound — obliged
  7. field — a subject
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. field — farmland
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — for sport
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bound — certain
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. safe — a strongbox

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