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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. lean — to bend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — thin
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cell — in biology
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bore — to drill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fork — to eat with

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