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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — of the year
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — for digging
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. suit — to fit

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