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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: patient · hand · drill · swing · pound · leaves · plane · fine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. drill — army training
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pound — a weight
  6. swing — in golf
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hand — help
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. swing — to play on
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — music
  23. fine — all right
  24. drill — a practice

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