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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. can — to be able to
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bound — obliged
  7. capital — money
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. can — a tin
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. can — a tin
  23. roll — a list
  24. rush — hurry

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