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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — a stick
  6. court — of law
  7. band — a ring
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. root — of a word
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. root — the cause
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a partner
  15. court — for sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — a friend
  18. band — a music group
  19. root — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. court — of a king
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. mate — to breed

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