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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — to visit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — of a river
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a word
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — the season
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — the cause
  19. pop — soda
  20. root — of a plant
  21. fall — to drop
  22. row — to paddle
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. pop — music

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