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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — the fish
  6. content — happy
  7. content — the amount
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. shower — rain
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — to hurry

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