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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — letters
  9. stem — to come from
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — for catching
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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