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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — bread
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to confront
  14. mate — to breed
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mate — a partner
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. calf — a young animal

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