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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 116 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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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: bay · pass · ruler · cold · kick · patient · plane · spring

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spring — the season
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spring — a coil
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — an illness
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spring — of water

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