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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — a tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — to come down
  8. cap — a lid
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cue — a hint
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — ground
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. scale — in music
  23. land — a country
  24. cap — a hat

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