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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 124 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — to keep track
  14. charge — a price
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — magic
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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