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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: patient · temple · row · prune · spring · arm · plane · saw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — a tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. spring — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — to trim
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — the season
  23. temple — side of the head
  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