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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 · bay · can · plane · mark · march · patient · fine

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fine — high quality
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. march — the month
  7. face — part of the head
  8. plane — a tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — to confront
  15. march — the month
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. face — to point toward
  20. march — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bay — a horse colour

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