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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: row · rush · wound · board · patient · plane · cap · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — to get on
  5. fine — all right
  6. wound — an injury
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — a committee
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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