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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: fan · face · content · bowl · mate · patient · leaves · wind

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wind — moving air
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. face — to confront
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mate — a friend
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — a partner
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — the amount
  23. face — to point toward
  24. fan — a supporter

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