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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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