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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to sink
  5. lie — to recline
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bound — obliged
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bound — certain
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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