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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: face · saw · patient · cabinet · rest · net · bear · lash

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — in sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. net — for catching
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. face — to point toward

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