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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 116 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: hide · track · face · patient · staff · mark · craft · capital

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. mark — a trace
  3. craft — boats
  4. staff — a stick
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. staff — employees
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. track — to keep track
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. track — a song
  16. mark — a grade
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. capital — money
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — a city
  24. hide — to keep secret

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