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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. swing — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. spring — of water
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — to play on
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — a supporter

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