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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. plane — a tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. lean — thin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bowl — a football final

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