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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 120 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: firm · racket · current · patient · mark · face · ball · lie

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. current — of water
  5. firm — steady
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — happening now
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — to recline
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to confront
  24. racket — for tennis

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