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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rash · rule · land · patient · prune · bass · plane · chip

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — to come down
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. land — ground
  7. chip — to eat
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the fish
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. bass — low music
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rash — a series
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. rash — hasty
  22. land — a country
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — on the skin

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