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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a music group
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cell — in biology
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. band — a ring
  23. face — to confront
  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