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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.

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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. present — a gift
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. present — the time now
  11. firm — a company
  12. bank — for money
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. present — there
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bank — for money
  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