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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. drill — a practice
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chest — of your body
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. chest — a box
  23. patient — a sick person
  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