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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. present — there
  9. fall — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — a gift
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — music
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — to visit
  20. game — a match
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. track — a song

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