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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — in music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stand — to bear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bass — low music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. press — to push
  18. face — part of the head
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — the most important part

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