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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — of water
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. content — happy
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spring — the season
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — in football
  10. plane — a tool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. content — the amount
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rash — hasty
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. kick — with a leg

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