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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 116 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a music group
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cue — a signal
  19. band — a ring
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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