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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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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rest — a break
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. firm — a company
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — steady
  12. face — to confront
  13. firm — decided
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — letters
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — magic
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rest — what's left
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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