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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — a subject
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. field — farmland
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — the animal

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