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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: pitch · mug · plane · fall · foot · branch · sharp · patient

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — a tool
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitch — completely
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. branch — a division
  22. mug — to rob
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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