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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. dip — to sink
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fall — to drop
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a document
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spell — magic
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — thin
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fall — the season
  24. file — a tool

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