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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. can — a tin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — a box
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. face — to confront
  15. present — there
  16. fine — high quality
  17. chest — of your body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — all right
  22. face — part of the head
  23. chest — of your body
  24. temple — a place of worship

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