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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — a position
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. wind — moving air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. patient — a sick person

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