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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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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: patient · rest · leaves · face · wound · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. present — a gift
  2. rest — a break
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wound — an injury
  11. present — there
  12. face — part of the head
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. face — to confront
  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