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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 116 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: pop · leaves · stick · plane · lean · patient · mug · staff

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — to visit
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mug — a cup
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lean — thin
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. patient — a sick person

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