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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: leaves · patient · wake · ground · bulb · game · plane · chair

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chair — a leader
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bulb — for light
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ground — a position
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. game — a match
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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