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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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. season — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. season — of the year
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kick — in football

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