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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: hide · object · leaves · key · patient · rule · date · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. date — the fruit
  5. key — in music
  6. object — a thing
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — to protest
  11. rule — a law
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. object — an aim
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rule — to rule out

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