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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. last — finally
  5. date — the fruit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — a country
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — obliged
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. last — final
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — to go on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bound — tied together
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitch — completely
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — certain
  24. fall — to drop

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