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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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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: patient · deal · land · face · wake · hide · bowl · toast

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. land — ground
  16. toast — bread
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. deal — to handle
  22. land — a country
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — to come down

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