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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rest — a break
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — a video
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. clip — for paper
  18. spring — a coil
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — the season
  24. patient — a sick person

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