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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. mine — for digging
  7. band — a music group
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. current — happening now
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — hurry
  15. current — electric
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — of water
  19. band — a ring
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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