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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 120 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — the season
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wake — a trail
  23. field — for sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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