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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. prune — to trim
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. season — of the year
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. file — a line of people
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. file — a tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — to trim

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