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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 120 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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468
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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to confront
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. leaves — to go away

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