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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. face — part of the head
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pop — to visit
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — low music
  12. face — to confront
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pop — soda
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pop — music
  23. land — to come down
  24. rest — a break

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