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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fine — all right
  6. shower — to wash
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — to drop
  19. can — a tin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. shower — rain
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — to be able to

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