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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. face — to confront
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rule — a law
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rule — government
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. content — happy

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