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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bear — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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