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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: patient · tear · scale · fine · mouse · plane · cabinet · pit

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a hole
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tear — to rip
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — in music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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