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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — a line
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. staff — a stick
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. staff — employees
  22. lie — to recline
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cell — in a prison

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