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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 116 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fall — to drop
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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