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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: leaves · patient · staff · mine · mug · bass · spring · kick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. spring — a coil
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — in football
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. staff — employees
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. mine — for digging

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