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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — part of the head
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — to point toward
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spell — magic
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. spring — of water
  14. field — farmland
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spring — a coil
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. can — a tin
  24. pound — a weight

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