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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. cap — a hat
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — to point toward
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — magic
  9. cap — a lid
  10. face — to confront
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — a permit
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. cap — of ice

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