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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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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: lean · field · safe · fan · deal · rush · patient · present

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — farmland
  3. lean — thin
  4. rush — hurry
  5. present — a gift
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. present — the time now
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — there
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. patient — a sick person

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