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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. current — electric
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. bat — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — happening now
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mark — a trace

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