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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — a hat
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. face — to confront
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bank — for money
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cap — a lid
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — for money

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