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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a music group
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. roll — a cake
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. band — a ring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — goods
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. roll — a list
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stock — shares
  24. band — a rubber band

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