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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lean — thin
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lean — to bend
  8. net — in sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — steady
  12. fall — to drop
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fall — the season
  21. firm — a company
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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