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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 124 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: roll · cabinet · band · spring · patient · plane · wind · season

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. spring — the season
  4. band — a ring
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a list
  10. spring — a coil
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — of water
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. season — of the year
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. roll — a cake
  19. plane — a tool
  20. band — a music group
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — ministers

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