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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — thin
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — in sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. net — for catching
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lean — to bend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. firm — decided
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. firm — a company
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — after costs
  22. ground — the earth
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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