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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stand — to bear
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the fish
  11. court — of law
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — a trail
  14. face — to point toward
  15. court — of a king
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tear — from crying
  20. court — for sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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