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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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 — to drop
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fall — the season
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. track — a song
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — low music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. track — to keep track
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — a path
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to drill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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