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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — steady
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ground — crushed
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. firm — decided
  19. fall — the season
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rock — music

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