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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — for sport
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mark — a grade
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to sink
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. fork — in a road
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. shower — to wash
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — a sauce

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