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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 · charge · patient · chest · pound · season · net · prune

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pound — a weight
  8. net — in sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chest — a box
  11. charge — electricity
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. net — for catching
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. charge — in control
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. season — in sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — of the year

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