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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pound — a weight
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — magic
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. spell — letters
  13. lean — thin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. drill — army training
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. drill — the tool
  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