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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. field — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — clever
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. drill — army training
  18. press — newspapers
  19. field — a subject
  20. press — to push
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — with an edge

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