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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — a gift
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. present — the time now
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. present — there
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — to confront
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — a weight
  20. land — ground
  21. stock — goods
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — a country

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