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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. chest — of your body
  16. row — to paddle
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — a box
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. row — a line
  24. pit — in a race

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