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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: bear · tube · face · bat · patient · season · lean · lash

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lean — to bend
  5. season — of the year
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — to confront
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — thin
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bat — in an idiom

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