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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: bulb · plane · patient · wake · mouse · rule · last · prune

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wake — a trail
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — a law
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. last — final
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — to go on
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. last — finally

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