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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. fall — to drop
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fall — the season
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. charge — in control
  9. band — a music group
  10. land — to come down
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bear — the animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. charge — a price
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — a safe
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — electricity
  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