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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bass — low music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rock — music
  10. field — for sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — clothes
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. field — farmland
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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