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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spring — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a document
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. club — for dancing
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. club — for golf
  20. spring — a coil
  21. club — a group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — to trim

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