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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: cap · stand · deal · sharp · patient · last · saw · leaves

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. last — final
  12. deal — to handle
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — to go on
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — finally
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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