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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: patient · rush · pound · leaves · spell · face · stand · ground

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. ground — crushed
  3. face — to point toward
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. rush — hurry
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — a position
  24. patient — a sick person

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