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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. can — to be able to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — to keep track
  7. root — of a word
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — a leader
  12. can — a tin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. track — a path
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. root — the cause
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. face — part of the head
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. rest — a break
  24. track — a song

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