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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a face
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. file — a document
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a line of people
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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