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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: fall · track · racket · wake · spell · shower · face · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to confront
  3. spell — letters
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — rain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. spell — a short time
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. spell — magic
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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