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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.

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: bat · bank · plane · drill · march · patient · pound · mug

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. march — the month
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. mug — a cup
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bat — the animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — a weight
  20. drill — army training
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — for money
  23. march — music
  24. plane — in geometry

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