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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hand — help
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wound — an injury

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