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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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · patient · toast · current · net · scale

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. scale — size or range
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. current — happening now
  7. scale — in music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. current — of water
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. face — part of the head
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. patient — a sick person

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