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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. degree — from a university
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fall — the season
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. charge — electricity
  19. foot — a measure
  20. degree — an amount
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. lean — thin
  24. degree — temperature

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