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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. fall — the season
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stock — shares
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chest — a box
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stock — goods
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — a supporter

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