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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spell — letters
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — the season
  11. ball — a dance
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — magic
  24. scale — size or range

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