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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to point toward
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — a friend
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lean — thin
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — to bend
  23. face — to confront
  24. rush — hurry

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