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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — to point toward
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — a position
  22. can — to be able to
  23. track — to keep track
  24. face — part of the head

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