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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fall — the season
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rock — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bat — the animal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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