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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bat — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. firm — steady
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rash — a series
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — decided
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kid — child
  24. foot — a measure

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