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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: patient · fall · date · bound · season · jam · face · kid

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. season — of the year
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. face — to point toward
  6. season — in sport
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. face — to confront
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — certain
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bound — obliged
  23. fall — to drop
  24. date — the fruit

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