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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — a phone
  8. drill — army training
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cell — in biology
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — a position
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — the tool

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