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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: cue · face · kick · drill · wake · lean · ground · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cue — for pool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — the tool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. drill — army training
  13. lean — thin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cue — a hint
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ground — the earth
  21. cue — a signal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kick — in football

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