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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bass — low music
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lean — thin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — to bend
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — a signal

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