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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — a container
  3. root — of a word
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pass — a permit
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a plant
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — the cause
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. patient — a sick person

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