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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. root — of a word
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. root — the cause
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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