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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. last — finally
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — a company
  7. sharp — clever
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. last — final
  15. firm — decided
  16. spring — of water
  17. season — of the year
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spring — the season
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — to add flavour

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