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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: bat · patient · face · sharp · bass · suit · firm · stick

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. face — to point toward
  5. suit — clothes
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. firm — steady
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. suit — to fit
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bass — low music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — clever
  23. firm — decided
  24. suit — in cards

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