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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. face — to point toward
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitch — completely
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to confront
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — to bend
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lean — thin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — a trace
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. spell — magic

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