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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · march · fine · patient · hide · track · bay · face

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — a song
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — high quality
  7. march — music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. face — to confront
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — all right
  21. face — to point toward
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  24. hide — to keep secret

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