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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: bowl · field · drill · face · patient · nail · tube · current

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — a practice
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — the underground
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. drill — army training
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. current — of water
  12. drill — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to point toward
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. field — for sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — a container
  24. face — to confront

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