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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — hasty
  5. face — to point toward
  6. roll — a list
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — a series
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lean — thin
  16. face — to confront
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — a face
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pit — a hole
  24. present — the time now

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