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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spring — of water
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stock — goods
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stock — shares
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. court — of a king
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — for sport
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. court — of law
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — army training

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