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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bound — certain
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spell — magic
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bat — the animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spell — a short time

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