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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stock — goods
  5. last — to go on
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. plane — a tool
  9. face — to confront
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stock — shares
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. last — final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — the animal
  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