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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spell — a short time
  3. perch — the fish
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stand — to bear
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — moving air
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — magic
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lean — to bend
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. march — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lean — thin
  24. march — the month

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