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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a great time
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — a permit
  12. staff — a stick
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ball — a dance

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