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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 120 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: leaves · cabinet · prune · hand · patient · suit · plane · bass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. hand — help
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bass — low music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bass — the fish
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hand — in cards

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