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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — a series
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. clip — to cut
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. clip — a video
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — for paper
  24. jam — a tight spot

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