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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — to shout
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. game — a match
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — a permit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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