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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 124 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bore — to tire
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cold — an illness
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. track — a song
  13. bore — to drill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — to keep track
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. track — a path
  24. plane — in geometry

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