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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · club · plane · patient · cap · mug · fall · jam

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cap — a lid
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a face
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. club — for golf
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. club — a group
  19. mug — to rob
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spring — of water
  22. mug — a cup
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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