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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 120 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: stick · spell · rule · snap · patient · mine · face · leaves

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to point toward
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. snap — to click
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rule — a law
  23. face — to confront
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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