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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. present — the time now
  4. band — a ring
  5. last — final
  6. present — there
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — a gift
  9. last — finally
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — to go on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — the fish
  14. band — a music group
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bass — low music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bass — the instrument

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