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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. pop — to visit
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. pop — music
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — soda
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lie — to recline
  23. row — a line
  24. rock — a stone

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