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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. hand — in cards
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — help
  8. bear — the animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. current — electric
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — part of the head
  16. ground — crushed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — letters
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spell — magic

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