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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: net · fine · rule · pop · face · chest · firm · patient

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — a company
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. firm — decided
  9. net — for catching
  10. chest — a box
  11. fine — high quality
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — music
  14. firm — steady
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. pop — to visit
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. net — after costs
  21. pop — soda
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fine — all right
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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