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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. swing — music
  5. face — part of the head
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. face — to confront
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. swing — in golf
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — in a road
  19. foot — a measure
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. face — to point toward
  24. jam — in traffic

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