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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — to rest against

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