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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.

Make a worksheet

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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. fine — all right
  3. ball — a great time
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lean — thin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. root — of a word
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a dance
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. season — of the year
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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