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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · patient · mine · rash · pitcher · hide · plane · march

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bulb — for light
  7. march — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rash — a series
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. march — the month
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — a jug

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