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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. spring — the season
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. spring — a coil
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a music group
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. dip — a sauce

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