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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: mate · face · bulb · pitch · present · patient · mug · perch

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. present — a gift
  3. mug — a cup
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitch — completely
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — there
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to confront

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