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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. face — to point toward
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — of the year
  5. object — an aim
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. object — to protest
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — in sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — a young animal

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