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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spell — magic
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — letters
  10. rock — music
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a list
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — a short time
  24. roll — a cake

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