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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bank — of a river
  6. stand — to bear
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chest — a box
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. chest — of your body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ground — a position
  18. fall — the season
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rush — to hurry

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