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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 120 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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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: cap · kick · wake · patient · plane · firm · stick · deal

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. firm — a company
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cap — a lid
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cap — a hat
  15. firm — decided
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — in football
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kick — with a leg

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