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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — a face
  6. track — a song
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bore — to tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — clever
  24. track — a path

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