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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. face — to point toward
  3. degree — temperature
  4. face — part of the head
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. degree — an amount
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. present — a gift
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — to bend
  20. last — to go on
  21. degree — from a university
  22. present — there
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hand — help

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