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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. lie — an untruth

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