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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · board · mine · leaves · lean · pop · snap · patient

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pop — soda
  3. chair — a leader
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — for digging
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. board — a committee
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. chair — a professorship

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