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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. object — to protest
  8. wake — a trail
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pit — a hole
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. object — a thing
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. plane — a tool

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