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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
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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: file · face · toast · bowl · pitcher · rest · patient · bulb

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. file — a tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. face — to confront
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — for light
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — bread
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. file — a line of people
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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