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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. face — to confront
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spell — magic
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. face — to point toward
  22. sharp — clever
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. face — part of the head

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