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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a great time
  10. net — for catching
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ball — a dance
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — to bear

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