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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a hat
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bore — to tire
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. season — of the year
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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