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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. plane — a tool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — part of the head
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. face — to confront

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