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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — employees
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — a match
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — to point toward
  19. staff — employees
  20. wake — a trail
  21. suit — to fit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. game — wild animals
  24. patient — a sick person

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