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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 one o'clock ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wound — an injury
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — to recline
  18. charge — a price
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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