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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — high quality
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fork — in a road
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. roll — on a roll

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