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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 120 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: tear · fine · vault · patient · face · tube · saw · fan

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to confront
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tube — a container
  22. face — part of the head
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — to rip

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