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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tube — a container
  10. band — a ring
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fall — the season
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a music group
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — the underground
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. trunk — of a car

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