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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 116 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: face · firm · board · drill · stick · stock · cell · patient

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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 — part of the head
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — a phone
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. drill — army training
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to confront
  17. firm — steady
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a committee
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — to get on
  23. firm — a company
  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