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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. land — ground
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — to keep track
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — to point toward
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. staff — a stick
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — to confront
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — a song
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — part of the head
  24. row — a line

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