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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: pitcher · kick · cabinet · branch · bulb · plane · patient · row

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. plane — a tool
  4. row — a line
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. kick — in football
  23. branch — a division
  24. row — to paddle

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