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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: foot · mate · cell · wind · lean · plane · patient · fan

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lean — thin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a friend
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mate — a partner
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lean — to bend

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