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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. 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. plane — an aircraft
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — a tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a ring
  18. 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