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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: leaves · tear · spring · staff · object · dip · charge · patient

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — a coil
  6. staff — employees
  7. charge — in control
  8. object — a thing
  9. staff — employees
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — electricity
  13. object — to protest
  14. tear — from crying
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — of water
  17. object — an aim
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — to sink
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. dip — to dunk

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