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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a music group
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a ring
  23. plane — a tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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