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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cell — a phone
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. face — to confront
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bass — the fish
  24. cell — in biology

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