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

Word bank: cell · content · rule · plane · patient · fork · mine · bulb

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. content — the amount
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rule — government
  18. content — happy
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — a law
  24. fork — to eat with

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