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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: mine · bowl · face · kid · mate · arm · fork · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mine — for digging
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. face — to confront
  6. mate — a friend
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — a partner
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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