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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. perch — the fish
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a path
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. lean — thin
  22. ground — the earth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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