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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 116 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: patient · spell · sharp · chip · lie · plane · face · cold

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cold — not warm
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — an illness
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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