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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. spell — magic
  4. fork — in a road
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. band — a ring
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — a tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. vault — a safe
  14. band — a music group
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — a short time
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. plane — in geometry

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