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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — a coil
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. prune — to trim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — with an edge

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