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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 was this ________________ built?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — tied together
  3. face — to confront
  4. last — final
  5. face — to point toward
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. last — finally
  12. track — a song
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — obliged
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — to go on
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. face — part of the head
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — to keep track

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