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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mug — a face
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a hat
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mug — a cup
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lean — thin
  24. wind — moving air

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