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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. scale — size or range
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. face — to confront
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — to bear
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. branch — a division
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stand — for spectators

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