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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: ruler · patient · cold · squash · fine · land · plane · root

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — ground
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. squash — to crush
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cold — an illness
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — a country
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. land — to come down
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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