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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.

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: bore · rock · fan · rest · face · patient · bass · foot

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. rest — a break
  10. bass — low music
  11. face — part of the head
  12. foot — a measure
  13. face — to confront
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rock — a stone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bass — the instrument
  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