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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.

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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: patient · ground · bear · ball · hide · rush · face · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. face — part of the head
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ball — a dance
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ball — a great time
  21. face — to confront
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. hide — animal skin

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