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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — to bear
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. root — the cause
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cell — a phone
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rock — music
  19. root — of a word
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fall — the season
  24. shower — rain

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