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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cell — a phone
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. charge — a price
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. charge — in control
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cell — in a prison

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