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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 · face · can · pit · chest · firm · drill · march

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — the tool
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to confront
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — in a race
  7. firm — steady
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. drill — army training
  13. pit — a hole
  14. march — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. can — to be able to
  21. chest — a box
  22. face — part of the head
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — decided

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