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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pound — a weight
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. shower — rain
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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