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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · patient · toast · foot · lie · ball · bulb · leaves

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ball — a dance
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — wild animals
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a match
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. toast — bread

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