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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stock · face · deal · mine · bass · squash · calf

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. face — part of the head
  9. deal — to handle
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to point toward
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — shares
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stock — goods
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. squash — to crush
  24. calf — of the leg

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