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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.

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: deal · lie · racket · patient · leaves · stem · season · bore

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — to handle
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. season — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. deal — an agreement
  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