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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ground — a position
  3. scale — in music
  4. clip — to cut
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mug — a cup
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — a face
  14. ground — crushed
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lash — to lash out

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