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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: face · bat · hand · board · deal · coach · lie · patient

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — to confront
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bat — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a committee
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — help
  23. lie — to recline
  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