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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. clip — a video
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — completely
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lie — to recline
  19. clip — for paper
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hand — in cards

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