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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. chest — of your body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chest — a box
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fall — the season

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