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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — a tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. charge — in control
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in biology
  21. staff — employees
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — electricity

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