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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mate — to breed
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. face — to point toward
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — part of the head
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mate — a partner
  16. face — to confront
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. firm — steady
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — of the sea

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