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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cap — a hat
  5. race — the arms race
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — the season
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for golf
  14. scale — in music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — a group
  17. content — happy
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. race — a contest
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stand — to bear
  24. content — the amount

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