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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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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: track · rest · patient · face · foot · lash · fall · cap

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rest — what's left
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. track — a path
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — part of the head
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rest — a break

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