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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cabinet — ministers

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