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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. field — for sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. kid — child
  8. field — farmland
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — a subject
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. firm — decided
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kid — to tease
  24. firm — steady

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