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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — completely
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spell — magic
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wind — moving air
  9. spell — letters
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — a short time
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — to be able to
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. degree — from a university
  21. face — to point toward
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — to confront
  24. degree — temperature

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