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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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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: cap · rest · leaves · hide · swing · spell · patient · pit

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — a lid
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. swing — in golf
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. swing — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — letters
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cap — a hat
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. swing — to play on
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — in a race

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