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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — a break
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. deal — to handle
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rest — what's left
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — to go away

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