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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ground — crushed
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lean — to bend
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. band — a ring
  19. toast — bread
  20. chest — of your body
  21. band — a music group
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. leaves — of a tree

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