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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. face — part of the head
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — from crying
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — to confront
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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