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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. stand — to bear
  7. shower — rain
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — high quality
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. fine — all right
  21. net — for catching
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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