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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: hand · season · track · patient · drill · swing · nail · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. track — a song
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. hand — in cards
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. track — to keep track
  11. season — of the year
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. swing — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. track — a path

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