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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 120 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: fan · cue · bulb · face · patient · fine · degree · dip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. degree — temperature
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — high quality
  9. dip — to sink
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. degree — from a university
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — a penalty

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