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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a grade
  9. plane — a tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. face — to confront
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bulb — of a plant

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