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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bank — of a river
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. face — to confront
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. ground — a position

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