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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mine — belonging to me

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