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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cap — of ice
  5. clip — to cut
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fall — to drop
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fall — the season
  14. clip — for paper
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. clip — a video
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a document
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cap — a lid

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