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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: patient · bulb · shower · plane · degree · cap · nail · prune

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. degree — temperature
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bulb — for light
  11. shower — rain
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. shower — to wash
  24. patient — a sick person

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