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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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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: face · foot · patient · ruler · tube · hand · bay · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — the underground
  5. face — part of the head
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. face — to confront
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — to point toward
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — to rip
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. hand — help

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