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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: leaves · saw · rule · lean · wake · patient · mate · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rule — a law
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wake — a trail
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rule — government
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lean — thin

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