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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chest — a box
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — clever
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fall — the season
  15. stand — to bear
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ruler — for measuring

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