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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. tube — a container
  3. pit — in a race
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for golf
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to point toward
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — a hole
  16. club — a group
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  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