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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. march — the month
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — to tire
  7. march — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — a break
  18. mark — a trace
  19. net — in sport
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — for catching
  24. rest — what's left

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