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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. object — an aim
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. scale — in music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — to protest
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — to point toward
  20. object — a thing
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bat — the animal

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