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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.

Make a worksheet

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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mug — a face
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. face — to confront
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bass — low music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bass — the fish
  14. face — part of the head
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. row — a line
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mug — to rob

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