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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: mate · spring · face · patient · dip · pit · can · cold

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — the season
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mate — to breed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pit — in a race
  9. face — to confront
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cold — not warm
  15. mate — a partner
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cold — an illness
  18. face — to point toward
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mate — a friend

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