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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 120 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
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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: wind · pop · patient · safe · can · land · face · firm

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pop — music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — soda
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — a country
  19. face — to point toward
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — out of danger

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