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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. fall — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. march — the month
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — of a word
  18. snap — to click
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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