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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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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 · wake · race · saw · patient · rule · rest · mark

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mark — a trace
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — part of the head
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rule — government
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rest — a break
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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