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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: fine · mouse · patient · wake · land · bear · fan · cap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — ground
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — to come down
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fine — all right
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bear — 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