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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — a subject
  14. content — happy
  15. can — to be able to
  16. field — farmland
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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