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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: bulb · bat · lie · band · pass · ground · patient · plane

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bat — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — a permit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lie — to recline
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bulb — for light

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