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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — a subject
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a skill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — for sport
  23. bore — to drill
  24. lash — an eyelash

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