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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — letters
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. drill — a practice
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — magic
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — in a race
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. spell — a short time
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lie — to recline

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