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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. staff — employees
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bound — certain
  10. field — for sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. present — the time now
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. face — to confront
  22. field — a subject
  23. face — to point toward
  24. present — a gift

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