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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stand — to bear
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. band — a music group
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. band — a ring
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — what's left

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