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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: patient · fall · row · face · nail · saw · rest · roll

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. face — part of the head
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fall — the season
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. face — to confront
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — a line
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. roll — a list
  20. face — to point toward
  21. row — to paddle
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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