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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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. face — to point toward
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. capital — money
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. face — to confront
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rash — hasty
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — hurry

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