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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — after costs
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. board — to get on
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. suit — clothes
  8. face — to confront
  9. lean — to bend
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — in sport
  15. lean — thin
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — to fit
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. board — a committee
  24. net — for catching

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