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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. face — to confront
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. drill — army training
  16. ball — a dance
  17. season — in sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. drill — a practice
  20. charge — in control
  21. face — part of the head
  22. drill — the tool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. patient — a sick person

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