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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. face — to confront
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rock — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bass — low music

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