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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — a cup
  5. capital — money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — a city
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mug — a face
  24. mine — belonging to me

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