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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: mine · game · racket · hide · mug · plane · perch · patient

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — a face
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — wild animals
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. game — a match
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mine — for digging

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