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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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Word bank
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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 · kid · mark · pound · rash · patient · toast · nail

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mark — a trace
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — hasty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mark — a grade
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pound — a weight
  14. plane — a tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — a series
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. nail — on a finger

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