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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 · spring · patient · dip · rash · bay · last · capital

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. spring — the season
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — final
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. last — to go on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. capital — a city
  17. plane — a tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. last — finally

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