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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. lean — thin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. can — a tin
  23. spell — a short time
  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