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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.

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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: fine · lean · wake · racket · chest · nail · patient · face

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — to confront
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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