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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — to tire
  6. can — to be able to
  7. firm — decided
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — to recline
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. can — a tin
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — to grow
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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