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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — part of the head
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. face — to confront
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a song
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a path
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. patient — a sick person

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