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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fall — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. face — to confront
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — the month
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — a monarch

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