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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. suit — in cards
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — in music
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. suit — to fit
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — clothes

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