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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. fall — to drop
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — music
  5. key — in music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. staff — employees
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. staff — a stick
  13. key — for a lock
  14. fall — the season
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — to drop
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — a container

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