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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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. rash — a series
  4. mug — a face
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ground — a position
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. ground — crushed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mug — to rob
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mug — a cup
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — hasty
  24. chip — for betting

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