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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 116 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mine — for digging
  7. staff — employees
  8. spell — letters
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. dip — to sink
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spell — a short time
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — magic
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. face — part of the head
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. face — to confront

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