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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to click
  6. fine — high quality
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — of the year
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to confront
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — in sport

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