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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — to come down
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. land — ground
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mate — a partner
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — to breed

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