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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: bulb · craft · patient · net · hand · straw · face · mouse

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — boats
  11. net — for catching
  12. craft — a skill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. net — after costs
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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