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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. face — to confront
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rock — a stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. firm — a company
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a song
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — steady
  20. mate — to breed
  21. firm — decided
  22. rock — music
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mate — a partner

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