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

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. sharp — clever
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spell — letters
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — army training
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — a short time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chest — a box
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spell — magic
  24. mate — a friend

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