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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mug — to rob
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — a break
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — a face
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rest — what's left
  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