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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. face — to point toward
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. net — after costs
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — to confront
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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