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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 116 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: clip · plane · rash · cue · patient · board · saw · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. clip — to cut
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a committee
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rash — a series
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cue — a hint
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. board — to get on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cue — a signal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — for pool
  24. patient — a sick person

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