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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. track — to keep track
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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