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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 · row · ball · coach · face · key · object · snap

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a great time
  3. face — to confront
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. object — a thing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. face — to point toward
  16. key — in music
  17. object — an aim
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ball — a dance
  20. object — to protest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. key — the most important part
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — for a lock

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