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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — the season
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — to bear
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. row — to paddle
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to sink
  24. row — a line

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