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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: land · spell · patient · cap · can · squash · board · face

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spell — letters
  5. cap — a hat
  6. land — to come down
  7. board — to get on
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. can — a tin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. board — a committee
  14. squash — to crush
  15. land — a country
  16. spell — a short time
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cap — a lid
  19. face — to confront
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — to point toward
  22. can — to be able to
  23. land — ground
  24. can — a tin

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