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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: cue · bound · land · can · fan · cabinet · plane · patient

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — a hint
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bound — tied together
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. land — to come down
  10. can — a tin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. land — ground
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — certain
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — to be able to
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bound — obliged
  24. can — a tin

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