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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. face — to point toward
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rash — a series
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — a company
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — on the skin

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