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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — to tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — there
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. patient — a sick person

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