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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — letters
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — in sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. cabinet — ministers

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