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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: drill · patient · jam · foot · tube · face · track · saw

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. face — part of the head
  10. drill — army training
  11. face — to confront
  12. tube — the underground
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. face — to point toward
  23. tube — a container
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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