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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fine — all right
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — a song
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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