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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to bend
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. club — a group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for golf

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