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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: leaves · mug · lean · patient · date · spell · tube · stand

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. stand — to bear
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lean — thin
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mug — a face
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. tube — a container
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mug — to rob
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. date — on the calendar

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