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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cold — an illness
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — in a race
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cold — not warm
  21. ball — a great time
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — for baseball

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