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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.

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: present · face · patient · race · mug · row · fan · key

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mug — a cup
  3. present — there
  4. key — the most important part
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — a contest
  8. mug — to rob
  9. row — a line
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — to point toward
  12. present — a gift
  13. mug — a face
  14. row — to paddle
  15. face — part of the head
  16. key — for a lock
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. race — the arms race
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. race — humankind
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. key — in music

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