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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mate — a friend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. content — happy
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. shower — rain
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mark — a trace

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