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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 · patient · bank · cap · game · spell · bore · staff

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — of a river
  6. cap — a hat
  7. spell — a short time
  8. game — a match
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — to tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. cap — a lid
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — employees
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bank — for money

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