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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: track · cell · mate · face · bulb · patient · ruler · capital

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. face — to confront
  6. cell — a phone
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mate — to breed
  10. capital — a city
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. track — a song
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — part of the head
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — a path
  24. mate — a partner

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