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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. branch — a division
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. spell — magic
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. season — of the year
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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