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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. toast — bread
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — thin
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. fine — all right
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. patient — a sick person

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