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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. degree — an amount
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — a partner
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. stock — goods
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stock — shares
  18. drill — the tool
  19. degree — temperature
  20. face — to confront
  21. degree — from a university
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — a strongbox

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