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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — the season
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — in music
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — a break
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — for a lock
  24. tube — in a tire

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