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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: face · fork · rush · wax · foot · mate · rest · patient

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. face — to confront
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — to grow
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mate — a friend
  7. face — part of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fork — in a road

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