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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. sharp — clever
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. degree — an amount
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. degree — temperature
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. chip — to eat
  22. degree — from a university
  23. board — a committee
  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