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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a friend
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a great time
  8. chair — a leader
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. leaves — lets stay

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