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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mine — for digging
  5. face — part of the head
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. face — to point toward
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. shower — rain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. game — a match
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — to confront

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