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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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a great time
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — to bear
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. spring — the season
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — of water
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. last — final
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — to go on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — of a plant

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