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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — after costs
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. club — for golf
  9. face — to point toward
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — a group
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to confront
  15. club — for dancing
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. straw — dry grass

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