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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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468
Word bank
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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — employees
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pit — a hole
  11. season — of the year
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a path
  18. staff — a stick
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a song

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