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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. band — a ring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cell — a phone
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. band — a music group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — a sick person

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