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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.

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: racket · bat · plane · chest · patient · face · rule · stock

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — to confront
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — a law

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