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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 116 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 · plane · safe · wind · root · spring · kid · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. spring — of water
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. root — the cause
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ball — a dance
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — the season
  20. kid — child
  21. root — of a word
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spring — a coil

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