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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — to recline
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — for catching
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bear — the animal

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