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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. charge — in control
  3. mate — a friend
  4. last — finally
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — army training
  7. mate — to breed
  8. last — to go on
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mate — a partner
  11. last — final
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rock — music
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — there
  20. drill — a practice
  21. present — the time now
  22. rock — a stone
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. drill — the tool

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