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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. face — to point toward
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — child
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. face — part of the head

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