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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · ball · lean · tube · deal · fall · cap · patient

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. ball — a great time
  3. tube — a container
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cap — a lid
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ball — a dance
  24. patient — a sick person

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