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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — final
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. rush — hurry
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wax — to grow
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lie — to recline
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. last — to go on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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