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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fine — all right
  3. spring — a coil
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spring — of water
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — the amount
  22. spring — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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