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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 120 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 was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — thin
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. key — in music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — hurry
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. capital — money
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. capital — a city

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