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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. net — in sport
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — all right
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mine — for digging

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