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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — the underground
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bound — certain
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — a container

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