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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mate — a partner
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. chair — a leader
  24. field — farmland

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