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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · patient · pitch · cabinet · lean · object · fall · fan

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitch — completely
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. object — an aim
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — a gift
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — to protest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — the time now
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — to cool the air

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