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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — a stone
  3. present — a gift
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mate — a friend
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — to get on
  10. club — for dancing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. present — there
  13. board — a committee
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. club — a group
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — the time now
  22. club — for golf
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — a flat piece

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