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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — a container
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wound — an injury
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — an injury

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