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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spring — the season
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — the season
  16. pass — a permit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a dish

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