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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — in a race
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. vault — a safe
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. face — to point toward
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hand — help
  22. face — to confront
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pit — a hole

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