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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kick — in football
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bound — certain
  14. season — in sport
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. face — to confront
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. face — to point toward
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — a position

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