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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. scale — size or range
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — electric
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. current — happening now
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. scale — in music
  23. face — to confront
  24. current — 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