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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. season — in sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. firm — steady
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fine — high quality
  10. season — of the year
  11. fine — all right
  12. pop — soda
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pop — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — the season
  17. dip — to sink
  18. pop — to visit
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spring — of water

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