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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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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: lean · net · ball · rest · patient · game · plane · shower

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rest — a break
  5. game — a match
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. ball — a great time
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. shower — rain
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ball — a dance
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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