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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. face — part of the head
  3. club — a group
  4. rule — a law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rule — government
  8. bank — for money
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — to confront
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — for golf
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. club — for dancing
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mark — a trace

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