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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — the month
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. object — an aim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. bound — obliged

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