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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: tube · pitch · rash · face · land · patient · bank · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — to point toward
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitch — completely
  8. tube — a container
  9. land — to come down
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — hasty
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — a series
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. land — ground
  24. face — to confront

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