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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: rock · season · current · band · face · patient · hide · pop

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. current — happening now
  3. season — of the year
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — in sport
  6. face — to confront
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. current — electric
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — soda
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — part of the head
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. hide — animal skin

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