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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — the time now
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

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