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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: ground · mine · rest · dip · toast · patient · face · bulb

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. face — to confront
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. toast — bread
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to point toward
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rest — a break
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. dip — to sink
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mine — for digging
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bulb — for light

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