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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — to sink
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pass — a permit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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