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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. march — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a friend
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. face — to confront
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — a partner
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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