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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — to come down
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — a country
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. ground — crushed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rash — a series
  23. ground — a position
  24. wound — an injury

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