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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. land — ground
  3. court — of law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — a country
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. court — of a king
  10. season — of the year
  11. face — to confront
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. land — to come down
  14. court — for sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pass — a permit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. season — in sport
  24. temple — side of the head

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