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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. fall — to drop
  3. file — a document
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. face — to point toward
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to tire
  11. lean — thin
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fall — the season
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. file — a tool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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