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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 · pass · snap · bulb · lie · patient · pitch · ground

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to click
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — crushed
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ground — the earth
  17. face — to confront
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — a position

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