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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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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 · nail · staff · patient · dip · bowl · bass · row

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. staff — employees
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. row — to paddle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — low music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. row — a line
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. dip — to sink

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