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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — soda
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. toast — bread
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pop — to visit
  24. toast — the most admired

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