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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 116 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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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 · pass · mouse · face · plane · lean · patient · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. face — to confront
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. face — to point toward
  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