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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.

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: present · fork · sharp · face · game · patient · pass · lean

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. fork — in a road
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. game — a match
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — clever
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — there
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — a gift
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — the time now

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