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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bass — low music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. roll — a list
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stand — to bear
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — to rob
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mug — a face
  24. bass — the fish

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