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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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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rock — music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lie — to recline
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. present — there
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lie — an untruth

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