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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mine — for digging
  12. dip — to sink
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — rain
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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