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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. drill — army training
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. mate — a friend
  15. lie — to recline
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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