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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — the time now
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — a partner
  8. saw — the tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. can — a tin
  11. mate — to breed
  12. present — there
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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