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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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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. present — a gift
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ground — a position
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — thin
  10. fall — the season
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ground — the earth
  14. present — the time now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — there
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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