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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 so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. court — of law
  4. staff — a stick
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. swing — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. swing — in golf
  21. staff — employees
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — to play on
  24. root — of a word

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