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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — of a river
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — the season

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