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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — a break
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — a container
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lean — thin
  21. tube — the underground
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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