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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — a thing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. object — to protest
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — a list
  19. stock — shares
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stock — a soup base

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