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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — to bend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lean — thin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. game — a match
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — a skill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play

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