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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — army training
  14. swing — to play on
  15. drill — the tool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — an injury

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