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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: deal · object · face · bay · patient · arm · pitcher · root

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. face — to point toward
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — to protest
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. object — a thing
  17. root — the cause
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. root — of a word
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. root — of a plant

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