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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 · bowl · bulb · snap · fine · craft · patient · kid

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. craft — boats
  5. bulb — for light
  6. plane — a tool
  7. snap — to click
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kid — child
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — all right
  17. kid — to tease
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — high quality
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — in geometry

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