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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 · ground · court · rule · row · patient · snap · staff

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. ground — the earth
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to click
  7. row — a line
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. court — of a king
  12. staff — a stick
  13. court — of law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. court — for sport
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rule — a law

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