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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a friend
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — to handle
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — the season
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lie — an untruth

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