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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — a video

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