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

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. 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. plane — a tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bass — low music
  13. drill — army training
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fork — in a road
  17. drill — a practice
  18. 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