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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. kid — to tease
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fall — the season
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fall — to drop
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kid — child
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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