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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — a country
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. land — ground
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. land — to come down
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. spring — the season
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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