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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — part of the head
  3. swing — in golf
  4. game — wild animals
  5. swing — music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — of ice
  8. face — to point toward
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. game — a match
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. swing — to play on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to confront
  21. cap — a lid
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — to handle

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