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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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. current — of water
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tear — to rip
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. face — to confront
  11. swing — music
  12. root — the cause
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. content — the amount
  16. swing — to play on
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — happening now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. current — electric

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