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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — to breed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. face — to confront
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. face — part of the head
  23. court — of a king
  24. mate — a friend

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