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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. plane — a tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. game — a match
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spring — the season
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — of water
  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