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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: board · net · nail · ruler · face · patient · pass · ball

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. ball — a dance
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — for catching
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — after costs
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — a sick person

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