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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: bore · bay · patient · stick · leaves · spell · land · jam

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. spell — magic
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. land — ground
  12. spell — letters
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — to come down
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — to tire

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