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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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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: present · cell · root · patient · firm · face · pitcher · ruler

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. firm — steady
  3. face — part of the head
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cell — in biology
  9. face — to confront
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. present — a gift
  13. root — of a word
  14. firm — a company
  15. root — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. cell — a phone
  19. firm — decided
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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