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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — part of the head
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. kid — to tease

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