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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: key · face · plane · stand · patient · charge · ball · track

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — a path
  9. stand — to bear
  10. key — in music
  11. face — to point toward
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. key — the most important part
  15. track — a song
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — in control
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. face — part of the head
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ball — a round shape

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