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

Word bank: key · dip · bay · lean · fall · patient · cap · wake

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lean — thin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — a lid
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wake — a trail
  16. key — in music
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. dip — to sink
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cap — a hat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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