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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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