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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mate — a friend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mate — to breed
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wound — an injury
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. shower — rain
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — a position
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bowl — a football final

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