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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — a position
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cap — a hat

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