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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — there
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — crushed
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. root — of a word

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