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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. key — in music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — a break
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — a tight spot

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