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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 124 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — a position
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wind — moving air
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bore — to drill

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