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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.

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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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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: fall · field · present · wave · leaves · patient · sharp · rule

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. field — a subject
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. fall — the season
  8. rule — a law
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — the time now
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — farmland
  22. present — there
  23. rule — government
  24. leaves — of a tree

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