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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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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: deal · bark · patient · leaves · race · cell · court · lean

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cell — in biology
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. race — humankind
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. race — the arms race
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. court — for sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. court — of law
  19. race — a contest
  20. lean — thin
  21. court — of a king
  22. cell — a phone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — lets stay

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