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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spring — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. club — a group
  11. root — of a word
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chair — a leader
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ball — a dance
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spring — a coil
  24. club — for golf

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