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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — final
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cap — a hat
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hand — help
  15. last — to go on
  16. sharp — clever
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bulb — for light

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