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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rash — hasty
  10. face — part of the head
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. field — a subject
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — farmland
  18. rash — a series
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — all right
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. field — for sport
  24. rash — on the skin

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