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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: patient · last · mine · face · rush · lean · bowl · craft

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. face — to confront
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. craft — boats
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. last — final
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — to bend
  24. face — to point toward

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