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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — a hole
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. kid — child
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pass — a permit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — the earth
  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