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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.

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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 · ground · can · drill · cell · face · row · patient

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ground — crushed
  6. face — to point toward
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. drill — a practice
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — a position
  11. mate — to breed
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — a friend
  16. cell — a phone
  17. can — a tin
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — in biology
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. can — to be able to
  24. face — to confront

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