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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: row · dip · game · nail · mark · patient · cabinet · face

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mark — a trace
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a match
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — to sink
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. dip — to dunk
  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