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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · fall · calf · face · straw · foot · can · bulb

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — to confront
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — a measure
  8. face — part of the head
  9. can — to be able to
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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