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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 116 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. net — in sport
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. club — for dancing
  16. root — the cause
  17. face — to confront
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. net — for catching
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — of a word
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hand — in cards
  24. patient — a sick person

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