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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — boats
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ruler — for measuring

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