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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. face — to confront
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bound — tied together
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. present — there
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — obliged
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. present — the time now
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. craft — boats
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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