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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.

Words on the sheet
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: tube · plane · key · ruler · club · patient · mouse · rash

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for dancing
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rash — a series
  8. club — a group
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tube — a container
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. key — the most important part
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — for golf
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mouse — for a computer

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