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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. prune — to trim
  18. roll — a list
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. arm — a part of something
  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