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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. last — to go on
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — a country
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. last — finally
  8. land — ground
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. last — final
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. deal — to handle
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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