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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — a match
  6. net — in sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. object — to protest
  11. march — music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — a thing
  18. net — after costs
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — wild animals

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