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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. can — to be able to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — the earth
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — a tin
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — money
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to confront
  15. rush — hurry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. march — music
  18. ground — crushed
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. face — part of the head
  21. capital — a city
  22. ground — a position
  23. can — a tin
  24. march — the month

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