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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. capital — a city
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. swing — music
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fall — to drop
  8. capital — money
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — the season
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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