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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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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: stem · jam · degree · patient · charge · plane · mate · fall

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fall — the season
  4. mate — a friend
  5. degree — from a university
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. degree — temperature
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — an amount
  20. fall — to drop
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. charge — electricity

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