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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — to bear
  11. game — wild animals
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. toast — bread
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. face — to confront
  24. pound — for dogs

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