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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · bear · season · clip · mate · fan · patient · fine

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fine — all right
  8. season — in sport
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — of the year
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. season — to add flavour

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