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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — to recline

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