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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rock — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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