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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: present · patient · leaves · mouse · lash · mine · can · wound

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. present — there
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — belonging to me

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