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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — a path
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — the season
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — child
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — to tease
  24. track — a song

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