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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. roll — a list
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — the season
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. spring — a coil
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — boats
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. spring — of water
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. roll — a cake

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