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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rush — hurry
  6. current — happening now
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — electric
  11. spring — a coil
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — of water
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — a lid
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spring — the season

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