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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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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: wake · trunk · object · roll · board · face · patient · date

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. face — to point toward
  5. date — the fruit
  6. face — to confront
  7. object — an aim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — to protest
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — a thing
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. roll — a cake
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. face — part of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — a sick person

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