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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 116 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: rock · patient · present · scale · leaves · lean · file · rush

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. rock — music
  6. file — a document
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rock — a stone
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. scale — size or range
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lean — thin
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — the time now
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lean — to rest against

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