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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: sharp · spring · nail · present · pitcher · fork · plane · patient

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spring — of water
  12. present — there
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — on a finger

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