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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 116 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. face — to confront
  4. bat — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. present — there
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — the month
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — music
  14. pitch — completely
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — part of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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