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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · net · capital · patient · face · racket · track · nail

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — to confront
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wind — moving air
  6. face — to point toward
  7. capital — a city
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — to keep track
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. capital — a big letter

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