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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — to eat
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — to confront
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bound — obliged
  19. suit — clothes
  20. face — part of the head
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chip — for betting

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