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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.

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: content · lean · pit · leaves · rush · cabinet · patient · bass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bass — the fish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lean — thin
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. content — happy
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lean — to bend
  24. content — the amount

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