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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rule — government
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. face — to confront
  8. rule — a law
  9. mark — a grade
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — boats
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. face — to point toward
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mark — a trace
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. degree — temperature
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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