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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — final
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — to handle
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lie — to recline
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. last — to go on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. dip — to sink
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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