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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spell — magic
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rest — a break
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — to handle
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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