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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: content · bass · pit · patient · lash · plane · wake · present

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. present — there
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. present — the time now
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. content — happy
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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