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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — a practice
  4. court — for sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. can — a tin
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. court — of a king
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — to point toward
  21. drill — army training
  22. face — to confront
  23. lie — to recline
  24. court — of law

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