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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. face — part of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. face — to point toward
  21. sharp — clever
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — to confront
  24. fine — a penalty

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