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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to point toward
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. net — for catching
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — after costs
  9. present — a gift
  10. spell — a short time
  11. net — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to confront
  18. date — the fruit
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spell — letters
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — the time now
  24. date — on the calendar

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