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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spring — the season
  5. court — of a king
  6. cell — a phone
  7. squash — the sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. court — of law
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cell — in biology
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. band — a ring
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — for sport
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a music group

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