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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. season — in sport
  8. lean — thin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — music
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — the underground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — to confront

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