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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fall — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rock — music
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. swing — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. swing — to play on
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. swing — in golf
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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