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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — a container
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fall — the season
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — boats
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rash — on the skin

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