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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — an aim
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. face — part of the head
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bass — the fish
  12. object — to protest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. scale — in music
  16. face — to confront
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bass — low music
  21. content — the amount
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — happy

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