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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — to sink
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fall — to drop
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wave — with your hand
  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