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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fall — the season
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fall — to drop
  15. firm — decided
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. firm — a company
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bulb — for light

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