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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rule — government
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. march — music
  12. face — to confront
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. march — the month
  19. mine — for digging
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. march — the month
  24. bear — the animal

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