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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pop — soda
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. object — an aim
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. current — of water
  9. object — a thing
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. object — to protest
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — a series
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. current — electric
  19. rash — hasty
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — happening now
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  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