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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.

Make a worksheet

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: band · season · mine · patient · lean · rock · stick · leaves

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. rock — a stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. band — a music group
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a ring
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. season — in sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  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