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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pop — to visit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pop — soda
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — the earth
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — a position
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. dip — a sauce

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