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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bark — to shout
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. key — for a lock
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wound — an injury
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — to confront
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. face — part of the head
  23. key — in music
  24. wind — to turn a key

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