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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — employees
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fall — the season
  12. hand — help
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. staff — employees
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pass — to spend time

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