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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
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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: face · band · key · drill · ball · patient · net · wind

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. band — a music group
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — for a lock
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wind — moving air
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — in music
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. face — to point toward
  13. drill — army training
  14. net — in sport
  15. ball — a dance
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wind — moving air
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ball — a great time
  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