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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pop — to visit
  10. clip — a video
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fork — in a road
  19. clip — for paper
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pop — music
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — to recline
  24. clip — to cut

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