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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. board — a committee
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bore — to tire
  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