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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lean — thin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — music
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. swing — to play on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — a place of worship

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