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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kid — child
  10. key — in music
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a music group
  13. key — for a lock
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — the most important part
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. foot — the bottom

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