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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 120 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: lean · cap · rock · stock · sharp · patient · leaves · mate

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mate — to breed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. sharp — clever
  8. stock — goods
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rock — music
  11. mate — a friend
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stock — shares
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — a lid

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