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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 124 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a lid
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — of ice
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. row — a line
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lean — thin
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. deal — to handle
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. row — a quarrel

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