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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: fall · rush · cold · patient · plane · firm · saw · rest

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cold — not warm
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. fall — the season
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cold — an illness
  23. firm — steady
  24. plane — an aircraft

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