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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · content · wind · bass · hide · lie · ground · mark

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — crushed
  7. content — happy
  8. lie — to recline
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — low music
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — videos and posts

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