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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. field — a subject

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