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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · band · present · racket · kid · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. plane — a tool
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — the time now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — child
  12. present — a gift
  13. kid — to tease
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. band — a music group
  18. present — there

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