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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: lean · wound · cabinet · leaves · tube · swing · patient · charge

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. swing — to play on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — a container
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — a price
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. swing — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — thin
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lean — to bend
  24. leaves — lets stay

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