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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: spell · fan · face · land · wave · lean · patient · fine

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spell — magic
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — to come down
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lean — to bend
  18. face — to confront
  19. land — a country
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. land — ground

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