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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spring — a coil
  4. kick — in football
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spring — of water
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spring — the season
  24. patient — a sick person

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