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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. track — a path
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ground — the earth
  7. root — the cause
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. object — a thing
  10. chest — of your body
  11. root — of a word
  12. object — to protest
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ground — a position
  18. object — an aim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — a song
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ground — crushed

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