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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. content — happy
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wake — a trail
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — of water
  20. content — the amount
  21. spring — the season
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wake — before a funeral

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