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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: kid · patient · march · hide · leaves · present · mark · saw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. present — a gift
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — the month
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. march — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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